The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-01-01
TAPERS.
How Christmas Candles are Made and tho
Machinery Used.

trade IN candles IL this city. New
Workers are SO used to the electric
light and gas that candles are almost
Over 100000 pounds OF
candles are sold annually in New
York. They are not consumed here,
but this city is the entrepot for the
trade. The monetary receipts from
this source aggregate about $1,000
600 every year. Like every other
trade it has its seasons, and Christ
mas furnishes an opportunity for q
large consumption OF candles. The
greater part of those sold in the New
York market are made in this city
and vicinity. There are only about
thirty-fve large manufactures in the
United States and the largest are near
New York. Foreign candles are al
most excluded, except those in fancy
designs. And although 81 candle is
still a candle, art has made many OF
them remarkably beautiful One rea-
son why foreign candles are scarce is
because the 20 per cent. duty is al
most prohibitory. Another cause
arises from the fact that although
labor is higher here, the use OF steam
and machinery, together with the na-
tive production of the raw material,
enables the manufacturer to supply
the trade cheaper than they can pos
sibIy do in England. AS an instance
of this. we might quote the fact that
the little tapers known as "Christ-
mas candles" are sold wholesale at
Is cents per pound Some OF these
candles, round and futed, tinted with
the most attractive colors, run la to
the pound. This makes the price at
wholesale eight candles for 1 cent. To
iobbers and large dealers the price is
even less. The sizes ofChristmas can
dies vary from 144 to 72, 36 and 24
to thepound, while large candles will
weigh one pound each. Yet it takes
as much time and trouble to make a
candle weighing 144 tothe pound as
those OF a much larger size.
A reporter recently visited large
candle factory at Clifton, Staten ISL
and. The noise of the machinery first
his attention. Heavy presses
with steam for motive power were
at work on all sides. The reporters s
was first called to the ordi-
nary, yellow lookingsubstance known
as scommercial tallow. This was taken
out OF the hoesheads and thrown into
tanks capable ofsholdipg from 5000
to 1000 pounds each. Lime was
then added to the tallow, and the
mass allowed to boil about eight
hours. The quantity of lime added is
about 10 per cent. The lime takes up
the oleic and stearic acids, and the
mass forms g kind of lime soap, al
most as hard as a rock. II is then
transferred to another tank, where it
is again boiled for three or four hours
by the aid of steam, about 10 per
cent. of sulphuric acid being added.
This decomposes the lime, which falls
to the bottom, leaving the purified
tallow at the top. This is taken OFF
and transferred to open metallic pans
Is inches long by 10 wide and 2 deep.
After remaining ii these pans for
twelve hours, and becoming hardened
the tallow is transferred to bags and
to q heavy pressure in q
cold air press worked by strong steam
and hydraulic power. This takes out
the oil and bad color. This oil is
saved and used in making soap and
other materials for wooden mills. In
order to get the stearine perfectly
white the solid matter which is LETT is
again submitted to pressure in q hot
press, the leaves OF which are heated
by live steam from a. boiler. This
takes out all the oil, the epressure being
at times equal to 6O0tons. The stear-
inc is then again melted, for by this
time it has become almost as hard as
lock, andr run into molds.
The molds are In strong frames
about as high ss mans chest. There
are ninety.six molds in frame. I'm
der each mold is a piston-rod, fastened
to a platform, beneath which are the
bobbins containing the wicks. An or
ifce il each piston-rod enables the
wick to pass through. When the
wicss arc IN place in the mold the hot
stearine is poured into reservoir on
the top OF the molding frame, from a
can holding about thirty pounds OF
the melted substance, taken from
tanks which have been heated by
steam. The stearine flows readily in
to the molds, which when cool / of
for they are heated by steam before
the stearine is allowed to flow into
them allow the candles to come cut
easily The surplus stearine having
been scrapeG of from the bottom ofthe
candles, wooden rack is placed over
the molds. By the aid of a crank the
platform holding the piston-rod is
ard the rods forced through
the molds. This thrusts the candles,
ninety.six st a time, into the rack and
at the same time drawing up more OF
the wick from the bobbin. The COM
pleted candle holds this wick In place
until the mold is again filled with
steariue. When the candles in the
rack are sufficiently hardened q sharp
knife separates the wick connecting
them with those in the molds, and
they are sent away to be boxed up
for shipment. And this process is
continued as fast as the candles can
be cooled. A few men can attend a
number OF frames, and by the time the
can holder has reached the last OF the
frames the first Que is ready for the
repeating operation.
Paratfine is the residuum Of petrole-
um, and is therefore cheaper than tai.
low. It has, however, to be treat ed
with naphtha instead ofsulphuric acid,
and by the same process as with the
steerine. The pressure to which it is
submitted for the purpose OF extract
ing the oil is very great. The cakes oi
purified paraffine are OF a clear white
and almost Transparent. The sub
stance is often used for chewing gum
and is quite sweet after being purified
Yet prior to being submitted to the
nsphtha process it has both bad taste
and odor. After publication it is
placed in steam-heated vats and again
melted. Anilipe dyes of all shades are
added, each color being in q separate
vat. Similar molds and frames to
those used III the making of stearlne
candles are employed. It takes as
much time to make Christmas can
die running LA to the pound, as those
that are lager in size. One frame will
be required to make one pound OF the
small candles, while q similar frame
could, in the same time and with
about tie same amount OF labor
produce sixteen pounds OF stearlnt
y H. Y E.g